Ok people.. I've asked my psychiatrist... my bariatric surgeon.. and 4 pharmacist...and got all different answers.. now I come to you in desperation. Has anyone been on cymbalta 60 mg.. pre op and post op.. I'm being told that I can open the capsule and take the beads of meds.. just don't chew them.. 2 pharmacist are saying not to open them at all since they are time released.. I have been on it for 8 years for depression and have NO intention on messing with it. I need advice from someone that's actually gone through it. Can it be done??????

I know that you don't absorb as much post op so time released meds are not recommended. I had to increase my thyroid meds after surgery and when taking other OTC or RX meds I stay away from time released. I would go with what your surgeon says.

Ok, I'm no expert but I take Fluoxetine. I asked my Doc about it and she showed me a visual of where different meds are absorbed in the system and these are absorbed before they hit the 'malabsorbtion' bit, if that makes sense so they were fine.

As for taking tablets in general, my Docs had none of this crushed-up malarky. I was on pills as soon as the surgery was done. If they were a little bigger, like Paracetamol, I'd break them in half but they said it's fine to take pills.

Surgeon and psychiatrist say they are fine to take in jello after surgery.. just don't chew the beads.. and 2 outta 4 pharmacist said that tok.. but two pharmacist said that they may disovle prior to be obsorbed.. and the other said thag since its time released.. the. It would give it to me all at once if I opened them up and took the med.. I was just wondering what peoples experience is

Yes, I have been taking 60mg Cymbalta long term. I have never opened or crushed the Cymbalta or any of my cardiac meds since my bypass and have not had any problems getting them down or having them work. I just allow about 15 minutes between pills to give them some room. Some people find that taking pills with warm Water makes them more comfortable and may speed up the dissolution of the outer covering.

The only pills I have been unable to take are the horse-pill size large Vitamins and Calcium pills. I am using chewable and mini sized pills instead during the first months.

Good luck!

I just talked to the bariatric nurse cordinator who said that I just can't take the meds that morning.. that I can take them the day after... they are safe to open.. and take the beads.. so I need go have more confidence in my surgeons office since they've done this before... and have sealt with h uh ndreds of pt on the same meds... I'm just anxious. . Scared.. nervous. . I wi mot get the surgery if they mess with my meds..

Thanks turn the page.. I'm just nervous. . I haven't changed meds in 8 years.. it terrifys me to think that this could alter my meds..

It seems like you have a good solution. Ask if you can go back to taking the capsules at some point, say when you start on solid foods. They would not be larger than your bites of food. You'll be fine. I am doing so well post-op that my psych is considering lowering the dose of Cymbalta if I continue to do well.

Really?? They said ill have to go a day without it... which is nerve racking.. but they said i be so out of it the day of surgery that I won't notice it. I guess the saying is right.. too many cooks in the kitchen.. the bariatric dr will know best.. I'm open to hear other experiences

I didn't get it the day after surgery either because I couldn't have any water. They were waiting to see if my pouch was leak proof before giving me anything. I was on the morphine pump that day though and slept most of the day so it wasn't an issue. I can miss a day here and there without consequence, but after 2 days I start to notice changes. I was thinking after I wrote the above posts, they might have given me 2 30mg caps on the 2nd day. Not sure if that was because they are a smaller size or if their pharmacy didn't stock the 60 mg. In any case, I resumed the 60mg when I was home on the 3rd day and haven't had any problems. You'll be fine--and even better when you start to see the pounds drop off! Good luck!

Per my shrink and pharmacist, I open capsules but don't chew...no way I was going of of it either!

I opened the capsule this morn to see how it effected me.. and so far so good. Ill do it a couple more times just to wrap my head around that its ok prior to surgery...surgery isn't worth my mental health.. I was tild the same thing.. just don't chew... whens your sugery??

I was taking pills in the hospital the morning after surgery. My Cymbalta was never a problem. Any larger pills I just cut in half.

The whole pill? Never opened it?

Yes, you can take the whole pill, without opening it or doing anything else to it. See #5 above.

I'm on cymbalta 60 mg. I took them before and after surgery without any issues. I never had to cut them open, or do anything different.